Smart Grid News

Pike Research report names SUBNET key industry player

SUBNET Solutions Inc | Thursday, April 12, 2012

SUBNET Solutions Inc. has been named a key player in the smart grid sector in a recent Pike Research report, which analyzed utility IT and operational systems, software and services, business drivers, trends in policy and forecasts to determine the current state of smart grid IT.

"The 'smart' in smart grid comes from the ability to generate, manage, and analyze a wide range of new information about the network and its users," Pike said in its introduction of the report. "Information technology is the key element in linking new data sources, analyzing patterns, and enabling real-time responses."

IT is increasingly becoming an integral part of the evolution of the electric industry, and is also greatly affecting the transformation of network operations as utilities look to exploit new sources of data in an effort to enhance network efficiency. The IT transformation is also influencing distribution management systems and the marriage of IT and OT to create a more efficient operation.

SUBNET was listed as a key player because of the innovative solutions it has developed to confront the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry, which is riddled with disparate technologies and subject to stringent government regulations.

SUBNET's Unified Grid Intelligence drives its smart grid technology and solutions through an interoperability philosophy that supports its approach to real-time integration of smart grid devices. SUBNET's technology enables utilities to connect any substation device across any communication network to all possible forms of business intelligence systems. The technology has been adopted by nine of the 10 top utilities in the U.S, and the company leverages close relationships with technology leaders such as Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, McAfee/Nitro Security and others.

The Pike Research report details how smart grid IT is evolving, and looks at the relationship between the most prominent elements of the smart grid IT environment. SUBNET, which has set itself apart with its vendor-agnostic approach, is expected to be a major player in the development of smart grid IT because it is well-versed in both substations and IT networking.

The report delves into the definitions of smart grid IT, the major technology, market and organizational issues that are affecting smart grid IT deployment, the largest barriers to effective deployments and others topics.